Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC

Alison Gaylin, an award-winning author, has penned 41 novels. Her accolades include the Edgar and Shamus awards, and she continues to captivate readers with her gripping mysteries.

In Robert B. Parker's Bad Influence' an exciting thrilling addition to the Sunny Randall series, Gaylin plunges us into a world of glamour, danger, and digital intrigue.

Sunny Randall, the intrepid Boston PI, takes center stage once again. She's no stranger to the city's gritty streets, having once dated the legendary Jesse Stone and shared therapy sessions with Susan Silverman (Spenser's steadfast companion). But this time, Sunny's client is no ordinary case. Blake, an Instagram influencer with a life seemingly curated by the gods, seeks her protection. His existence is a heady mix of wealth, adoration, and a beautiful girlfriend. Yet, beneath the glossy surface, malevolence simmers.

As Sunny delves into Blake's world, she uncovers a web of lies, schemes, and connections to a criminal underbelly. The stakes escalate when threats turn lethal, and Blake's manager, Bethany, goes missing. To crack the case, Sunny must peel back the Instagram filters and expose the raw truth. Who are Blake and Bethany when the likes and follows fade away?

Gaylin deftly balances old-school sleuthing with modern cyber-savvy. Sunny's wit and determination drive the narrative, and her encounters with old friends and ex-husbands add depth. The streets of Boston come alive—the same streets where Spenser once tread—and we're reminded that danger wears many disguises, even in the glow of a smartphone screen.

What sets "Bad Influence" apart is Gaylin's ability to breathe new life into Parker's iconic character. Sunny Randall emerges as a multifaceted heroine, grappling with insecurities, anxieties, and bravery. Gaylin's prose captures the essence of Parker's universe while infusing it with contemporary relevance. The result? A seamless blend of nostalgia and freshness.

If you crave suspense, digital intrigue, and a dash of Boston noir, "Robert B. Parker's Bad Influence" is your next addictive read. Just remember, behind every flawless Instagram post lies a shadow—a secret waiting to be unmasked.

Robert B. Parker's Bad Influence" by Alison Gaylin breathes new life into the beloved Sunny Randall series, blending old-school crime-solving with the dark underbelly of social media. When Instagram influencer Blake becomes the target of a deranged fan, Sunny Randall is called in to protect him and unravel the tangled web of lies and deception surrounding his glamorous lifestyle.

Gaylin effortlessly captures Sunny's wit, confidence, and vulnerability, while infusing the narrative with a contemporary edge that tackles the pitfalls of social media and modern celebrity culture. As Sunny delves deeper into Blake's world, she uncovers secrets and motives that stretch back decades, forcing her to confront her own past and the ghosts that haunt her.

The plot is expertly crafted, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. Gaylin's mastery of suspense and pacing makes "Bad Influence" a gripping page-turner that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. With its unexpected conclusion and seamless integration of old and new elements, this novel stands as one of the best mysteries of the year.

In short, Gaylin's takeover of the Sunny Randall franchise is nothing short of spectacular. She not only pays homage to Parker's original creation but also breathes new life into the series, creating a character and a story that feel fresh and relevant. "Bad Influence" is a must-read for fans of the series and newcomers alike, and we can only hope that this is just the beginning of Sunny and Gaylin's partnership.

A fun and twisted thriller, I love anything with an inside look at influencers and this was soo good!! I enjoyed the characters and the suspense.

Loved it! I’m impressed with the authors that took over these series of RBP. This one was really good. Loved the characters! Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

I wanted to love this book. I am a longtime Gaylin fan, and an even longer Parker fan. But I never warmed up to Sunny Randall as a character, because Parker writing a female lead never felt authentic. I wanted so much for Sunny to come alive on the page at the hands of a female writer, and she never did in BAD INFLUENCE. The plotting felt jumbled, even by Parker standards, and I just didn't buy the third-act twist. Gaylin's prose is smooth, and she does the Parker style, but Sunny remains an underdeveloped character for me, with her relationship with her ex as her biggest defining trait, and I hope by sending him off at the end of the book, Gaylin will come into her with the character in the next book.

Robert B. Parker's characters are awesome and Sunny Randall is a great one. Her newest client, Blake, seems to have it all: an Instagram influencer, a beautiful girlfriend, wealth, and adoring fans. Unfortunately one of those fans has turned ugly, and Sunny is hired by Blake’s manager, Bethany, to protect him and to uncover who is out to kill him. Then Bethany goes missing and the threats against Blake escalate, Sunny realizes that things are not what they seem to be and she must find the truth. Bad Influence is a great read.

Gaylin's first stab at a Sunny Randall story is a solid one, with the requisite Spike, Ritchie, Desmond characters all makin appearances in an interesting story about media influencers and the trouble they get into. Much better than the last Lupica entry which seemed preoccupied with squeezing in cameos from Parkers other series.

This book is mostly a quick and interesting read: a well-developed mystery that moves along at a good pace with some out-of-the-ordinary characters. Would I recommend it to a friend? Hard to say: if you’ve recently read (and loved) Parker’s Sunny Randall novels, then you’re both at an advantage with this one - you’ll know who these characters are - and be a little jarred by another author’s take on them. If you haven’t read the other novels, you’ll enjoy this one - barring a little annoyance at not knowing who some of the characters are to one another, what they look like (Spike), or what kind of dog Rosie is until so far in the book that it’s annoying because in the meantime you’ve built up an image of your own. The author also tries a little too hard to be ‘cool’ and current with social media trends and jargon. I would assume she’s quite a bit older than the influencers she’s describing. But still a good read and so much better than so much else out there.

While Sunny Randall may not be as well known as Parker's other characters, Spenser or Jesse Stone, she and her cast of supporting characters bear all of the well known and loved trademarks of a Parker novel. Since Parker's death, Sunny has not seen the sunshine, sorry, not sorry, until Alison Gaylin, an accomplished author in her own right, has assumed the care and updating of Sunny Randall, et al. It's obvious that Ms Gaylin loves Sunny as much as we do and I for one am glad she has given us a new Sunny Randall story.
Entering the world on social media influencers would be confusing to many of us, but Sunny jumps in with both feet when she's hired to protect one of the hottest influencers in the game. The mystery/ thriller is excellent but the look into an influencer's world is pretty fascinating too. We again see Sunny's usual crew plus a few newbies that we hope to see in future stories. Hopefully Ms Gaylin will keep Parker's legacy alive for a few more volumes. While this is the latest book in the series, each book could be read as a stand alone, but you'd find yourself looking for the back volumes so you might as well read them all now.

I have read and enjoyed every Sunny Randall book that was written by Robert B. Parker, his concise character dialog that took the reader directly into the heart of the mystery. Boston P.I. Sunny Randall is divorced from the man she loves, Richie Burke…they can’t seem to live together or apart. Sunny first meets Bethany, the media concierge to Blake Jameson and his girlfriend Alena Jade, when Bethany offers to have them attend Sunny’s friend’s bar. She guarantees that their attendance will bring their fans to the bar and it is a huge success. Bethany then hires Sunny to be Blake’s bodyguard. Blake is receiving threats stating that “you reap what you sow”. When Bethany goes missing, Sunny knows that she must delve into Blake’s background for answers that he refuses to provide. As she does her best to keep him safe, no one is as they seem. I enjoyed Sunny’s irreverent humor, but in my opinion, the case seemed to wander all over the place until the end when everything was revealed. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

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Robert B Parker was a popular and prolific author whose death saddened his many fans. Luckily for his fans, characters, including Spenser, Jesse Stone and Sunny Randall continue to entertain with new authors. This book by Ms. Gaylin is a Sunny Randall mystery. It includes all that Sunny fans are looking for.

The title is most apt as the world of influencers is a critical part of the story. Blake and Bethany…who are they and what have they been up to? Readers learn that Blake is an influencer who has been threatened. Even worse seemingly, where is his manager Bethany and what has happened to her?

There is plenty of work for Sunny here. Luckily, she is equal to the challenge.

Note, I enjoyed that this title was written by a woman. She keeps Sunny fresh and interesting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

#RobertBParkersBadInfluence #NetGalley

I think it’s necessary to read the other books in the series before cracking this one open. The backstory of the main characters is key and at times I did feel like I was behind the game while reading.
I liked the exploration behind who Bethany and Blake really were. Anytime one goes nosing for information, you get more than you bargain.
I liked the setting of the northeast as well.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the copy of Robert B. Parker's Bad Influence by Alison Gaylin. I had no idea this was the 11th book in a series or that this author took the franchise over with this book. If you like cozy mysteries, you will love this one because it has everything: a plucky heroine, influencers, a missing person, mysterious pasts, and (most importantly) a cute dog. This was a fun, fast, and twisty read and I really liked the ending. A perfect beach read!

I appreciate that the Sunny Randall series has been extended even after Parker's death in such a good way. I love that she and her ex have continued their friendship and that she can always depend on his family. I love Sunny's best friend Spike and that he is getting a bigger space in the books.

Robert B. Parker’s Bad Influence is the latest novel in the late author’s Sunny Randall series, written this time by Alison Gaylin. Besides the single, female private eye, the main protagonists include a couple of modern day influencers l, and Bethany, their manager. A threat against one of the couple soon reveals that Bethany borrowed capital from unscrupulous individuals to fund her influencing management operation.
Sunny is hired to protect one of the influencers more action commences; threats, murder and a disappearance, all of which send Sunny to following clues and suspects local to her and connected to her client.
In my humble opinion the Sunny Randall novels are definitely the best of the post-Parker series, and this book one holds up to that excellence.
The only problem I had with this one was slight. In fact I sighed aloud when a too usual trope in 21st century murder mysteries was introduced. Still, the trope in its own way remain faithful to the original author’s imagination, which made it palatable.
As a positive, having Alison Gaylin authoring this series is brilliant as she adds her gender experience to make Randall more authentic, specifically for when writing about her inner thoughts and emotions.
Though, as for any Robert B. Parker series, I recommend reading some or all of the original Sunny Randall novels, it will be okay to begin with this book. The necessary back stories are provided, and no doubt Bad Influence will leave you, as it did me, wanting to read more from this series.

Alison Gaylin has taken over the writing of the late Robert B, Parker's Sunny Randall series of mysteries and that is a good thing. The latest mystery, "Bad Influence," features Sunny helping a social media couple. It's quite a hip story of social influencers. Parker mysteries always are fast paced and entertaining. This is no exception. Although the story is a tad weak at times, for the most part it moved along and I couldn't wait to find out whodunnit. Gaylin's writing fits the mold well and I think she will have much success if she continues on writing this series. I hope she does.

Publishing in June 13, 2023

Grade: B

I've read several books by Robert B Parker and have always found them to be fast paced, interesting and hard to put down. This one was no different. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Sunny Randall is a private investigator who has to ask the most dangerous criminals in Boston for help to find out who is threatening her clients, Blake James and Alena Jade, who have almost a million Instagram followers.

I like a lot of things about this book. When Susan Silverman is mentioned, I think back to the 1970s and 1980s, when I spent hours reading each new Spencer and Jesse Stone book as it came out. In general, this new version is similar to Parker's style, but it still has Gaylin's voice. Alison Gaylin, a best-selling author, has won the Edgar and Shamus awards. She is currently working on her fourteenth novel.

Less action, twists, and turns would be nice. There's only so much I can keep up without having to go back for details. I am grateful for having access to this uncorrected ebook file thanks to the publisher, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley. All opinions expressed in my review are my own and voluntary. Fans of suspense, Robert Parker, and Alison Gaylin should check out this classic detective story.

I love reading books about influencers so when I saw this opportunity I jumped at it. However, it quickly became apparent that this book was not for me. The writing style just did not work for me. I didn’t like any of the characters, I just didn’t feel connected to any of them.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read this one. I will not be reviewing outside of netgalley.

Sunny has been hired by an influencer who is being stalked. The further she gets in the case the more unanswered questions there are. She suspects her clients aren’t being honest with her. There are several twists in this story and a mystery that will keep you guessing. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.